Kitchen Storage Solutions

A Kitchen Organizational Nightmare

Kenna MacKinnon buys everything in bulk. With four kids younger than 12, it's the only way she knows she'll have what she needs when she needs it. So when the MacKinnons moved to a house in Oak Park, Ill., that came with a sad excuse for a kitchen  a cramped layout, limited storage  a makeover was a must. It didn't require a gut job, just some smart reconfiguring by designer Rebekah Zaveloff (KitchenLab, kitchenlab-chicago.com).

"Welcome to Central Command"

The back wall once housed a chimney and staircase, which came out to make way for a built-in pantry, side-by-side fridge and freezer, additional counter space and more cabinets. The island is set up so Kenna can see the kids in the backyard or the den as she preps. The dishwasher, housed in the island, backs up to the cabinets where plates and bowls are kept for easy unloading.

"Now There's Room for Kids!"

The original kitchen layout left little space for cooking, let alone playing (and, as Kenna knows, kids always want to be where the action is). So seats at the island and floor space for toys were at the top of her list.

"I Saved Money by Mixing Styles"

During the reno, Rebekah encouraged the MacKinnons to keep what they could. That included the cherry cabinets, subway tile, range and hood. They added off-white cabinets on the facing wall, and they painted the island a stone-gray color (Arctic Shadows by Benjamin Moore). The speckly white granite countertops tie all of the cabinet looks together. For the new backsplash across the room, Rebekah chose white glazed mosaic tiles. It goes with the old look but isn't matchy-matchy.

"My Smart Move: Easy-to-Reach Supplies"

Yes, she has plenty of storage, but grabbing everyday pots and pans from a hanging rack is easier than digging through dark cabinets. The rolling console below it holds more daily-use items. "I can also set it up as a bar for parties," says Kenna. "It's nice to have things that can be adapted as we need them."

"My Superstar: An Organized Pantry"

The floor-to-ceiling, 40-inch-wide pantry outfitted with shelves and drawers is large enough to store all those bulk-purchased goods. Bonus: The pantry is right next to the island, where the kids sit for afternoon snacks, so it helps them help themselves. The refrigerator-style hinges all around the kitchen are a special touch. Kenna added a latch detail to the outside of the pantry because it reminded her of an icebox she had growing up.

In a well-organized kitchen, everything has its place and is easy to find—and whatever you need is readily at your fingertips. This centers me. It calms me and makes cooking amid family gatherings a joy. As a gadget person, I'm excited by the limitless options to make my kitchen more organized, but these options may be a bit overwhelming for others. So here is a rundown of must-have accessories for your kitchen cabinets I just really love, as well as some of the more popular options that'll make your kitchen much easier to use.

Cutlery drawers with built-in dividers keep your cutlery separate for easy access, so you don't have a piled-up jumbled mess when all you're looking for is a fork.

Pull-out, adjustable shelves make getting that one can of tuna in the back of the cabinet a snap; they can often accommodate different heights for taller bottles and boxes. These shelves make the days of bending over and straining your lower back while digging through the cabinet a nostalgic memory soon forgotten, because the shelves now come to you.

A base recycling center is a great addition; it allows you to separate your recyclables and trash to place in larger cans outside on pickup days.

A base supercabinet is a must-have, as well as a favorite of mine. Really, I cannot say enough about movable, adjustable shelves and racks to make things easy to locate.

A pull-out spice rack is a favorite of mine. Just grab a corner and gently tug, and all your spices are right in front of you while cooking.

A wall cookbook and recipe organizer make following directions without burning something in the process a breeze.

Another favorite of mine is the pots and pans organizer with a base sliding bottom shelf and separate lid storage. Wow. This one makes matching up lids to the right pots and pans easy.

An extreme lazy Susan built into a corner cabinet never goes amiss and makes those assorted awkward-sized cooking dishes, like casserole bowls, much easier to keep organized and find when needed.

I really love column pull-outs, not only because I can find jars and cans at a glance, but the narrow column just looks really cool and modern to me.

As a collector of cookbooks who loves trying out new recipes, I love a built-in static bookcase, like in an island or open cabinet, to line up favorite cookbooks for easy access.

Built-in produce and vegetable bins are another favorite that makes accessing fresh ingredients effortless and gives the feel of being at an open market.

These are just a few of the many options available to make your kitchen more organized. Try out the ones you like best and see how much easier using your kitchen can be.